On March 2, 1836, 59 delegates from all parts of the Texas settlement bravely met at Washington, Texas to make a formal declaration of independence from Mexico, proclaiming to the world that Texas was a sovereign nation. Revered as the place “Where Texas Became Texas,” the replica of Independence Hall on the Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site grounds marks the very place where the government of the Republic of Texas was created and proudly existed in 1836 and again from 1842-1845.
The delegates meeting in convention periodically received letters from the Alamo while it was under siege, leading to heated discussions about what the delegates’ duty should be. When a delegate moved that the convention put its business on hold and ride to the defense of the Alamo, Texas Army General and delegate Sam Houston insisted that the meeting continue. He pointed out that without both a declaration and a constitution, Texans would be considered “nothing but outlaws, and can hope neither for the sympathy nor respect of mankind.” William Barret Travis, in a letter that was received in Washington on the day the Alamo fell, reiterated his determination to fight to the death. On the second page of the letter, Travis threatened convention delegates to finish their work, saying, “ …let the convention go on and make a declaration of independence and we will then understand and the world will understand what we are fighting for. If independence is not declared, I shall lay down my arms and so shall the men under my command.” The delegates finished their work as Santa Anna and his army marched eastward, hell-bent on capturing the political leaders of the rebellion. The work the delegates accomplished before abandoning Washington changed the world forever. While little remains of Old Washington, the spirit of those early freedom-seeking Texans pervades the park and its programs, allowing visitors to experience life before and during the Republic era.
